The Estranged
by smilingspaz
Summary: Someone from a past case returns to haunt Nancy and the Hardys, trying to drive them over the edge and seems to be able to predict all of their movements... first fanfic, please be nice : nancyxfrank
1. Chapter 1

Eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew turned off the hair dryer, unsure of what she had just heard downstairs. A wisp of her strawberry blond hair fell into her blue eyes as she ran down to see for herself whether or not she was losing her mind. Rushing into the kitchen, Nancy found herself facing him. The one person she didn't want to face for a long while to come. Their break-up had not been what one would find under the definition of 'pretty.' What's worse, it had only happened a week ago. But there was something strange about him, there was a shocked expression frozen on his face.

"What are you doing here Ned?" she asked uncertainly. He wasn't moving; Ned Nickerson was simply standing there with a clouded look in his eyes. There was definitely something wrong with the handsome football player. Then she heard a footfall from behind him.

"This is your first warning, Miss Drew. Don't interfere in this, or you're going to find yourself responsible for a few more deaths, got it?" a cold voice sneered from behind Ned. Nancy felt goose bumps form on her arms and neck. The voice was eerily familiar, but it wasn't possible. He wasn't supposed to get out of jail for another ten years…

Suddenly, Ned fell forward into Nancy's arms, cold and without pulse, revealing a tall man with sharp features and black eyes. She screamed, overwhelmed by not only the identity of the intruder, but also the fact that her ex-boyfriend's lifeless body was in her arms. Scrambling to get up and get away, Nancy felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck and the world slowly faded and turned black, unaware of the paper being thrust into her hand…

* * *

"Nan? Nancy honey please wake up!" Nancy could hear voices above her. But her eyelids refused to open.

"Who would do this? She wasn't working on any cases, at least if she was she didn't tell me. And now Ned is dead. Do you think someone with a grudge against Nancy was released recently?" a feminine voice above her queried.

"A grudge? Against _Nancy_? Come on. Who would actually want to kill her? She's only put hundreds of criminals behind bars. What kind of person would kill her for _that_?" someone answered sarcastically.

That voice. Nancy knew that voice. No one else had a sense of humor like his. It had to be him. 'But what's he doing all the way in River Height?' she wondered. 'I wonder if….'

"Quiet, I think she's coming to," a third voice interrupted her thoughts. It was this voice that made her want to open her weighted eyelids. This was the voice that made her heart flutter.

It was also the reason she and Ned had terminated their relationship.

"She is! She's coming to!" Carson Drew exclaimed. Nancy's eyelids slowly fluttered open to take in the sight of her father, accompanied by Frank and Joe Hardy and Bess Marvin.

"Hey guys," Nancy smiled weakly, struggling to sit up. Frank quickly rushed to help her.

"You need to take it slow, Nan. You got hit by a tranquilizer," Frank gently scolded her. For a moment Nancy was oblivious to anyone else in the room, taking in Frank's tall stature, his brown hair and even darker brown eyes that were filled with concern. Frank had a similar expression on his face as he looked at her.

"Ahem," Joe feigned a cough. Frank and Nancy's tore their gazes away from each other and looked at the tall 17 year old, whose blond hair was always falling playfully into his face.

"Hi Joe, nice to see you again. Dad, Bess sorry about…" Nancy tried to say.

"Don't you dare try to apologize Nan. It isn't your fault someone did this to you and Ned," Bess interrupted. Nancy smiled in thanks, until what Bess said hit her.

"Wait. Ned. Where's Ned? He's not….dead? Is he? He can't be!" Nancy tried to get up to go find him. It wasn't possible. She felt Frank's arms wrap around her in a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry Nan. He was dead before he even was in the house. The police determined the time of death to be last week," her father said as she broke out in tears. Why did that man do this? He had been in jail since she was three, it wasn't possible for him to have a grudge against _her_. Granted, she did have enemies forming a line miles long just waiting to be the one who would kill her, but him?

"Wait," Nancy started. "I thought you were in Washington, D.C Dad? A business trip."

"I was," Mr. Drew said. "The case was easier than I had anticipated, and I was spending time with friends there when Joe called."

Nancy looked at the two Hardys and thanked them, causing the two of them to blush.

"What were you doing here anyways?" Bess asked them.

"We were in Chicago on a case and had a lead that brought us here, so we thought we would come ask Nancy for some help. It's complicated," Frank answered.

"What we should have expected was for Nancy to already be on another case," Joe joked mildly. "We definitely didn't expect to find you out and Ned…" he trailed off.

"Hold up. You said the time of death was last week? But that would mean…." Nancy started.

"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over now. You'll have to leave," a new voice interrupted.

Nancy looked around and found the nurse who had spoken. "Please?" she pleaded. "Just a few minutes longer."

"No, you need your rest and they've already stayed longer than they should have," the nurse said irritably.

"Why are visiting hours always over when it's important?" Nancy grumbled to the nurse's retreating back. "You had better explain this tomorrow you guys."

"Don't worry, Nan, we will."

* * *

"You sure that was a smart thing to do, boss?" a nasal voice queried. The two men were walking down the busy River Heights street. No one paid attention to them, they were familiar faces around here.

"Do you think I'd do something like that if it wasn't time to start moving?" the taller of the two retorted. "No. This is perfect, to act while she's vulnerable. The little bitch is going to regret she ever solved that case if I have anything to say about it….."


	2. Chapter 2

**So I honestly completely forgot about this story, and feel like a total spaz and I entirely understand if anyone hates me. I know I get mad when people don't update. So basically I was cruising around the internet and saw there were actually reviews to this story, which made me super happy! Hopefully I'll be able to keep updating this; I'll try to be better!! Thanks! 3**

**And I forgot a disclaimer: I do not own the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy franchise. That belongs to the Stratemeyer Syndicate (or did forever ago…)**

* * *

The unpleasant hospital lighting found Frank Hardy pacing in front of his brother, trying to calm himself now that Nancy had finally woken up. The two had assured Mr. Drew and Bess that they would watch her while they went to find food. Joe, however, was starting to tire of Frank's antics.

"Hey, I know you're mad someone went and knocked out your girlfriend, but can you stop moving so much? You'll give me vertigo, I swear."

Frank stopped to glare at the muscular blonde. "Nancy's my friend, and that's all. You know that," he hissed. The day had been hard on him, and his usual patience was running thin.

Joe met his glare, but countered playfully. "Fifty will get you a hundred that there's more to the two of you than that…."

"Knock it off, would you? The impressions are running a little thin."

"Aww come on, Frank! That was an original!"

"Right. So the fact that you spent last weekend watching the 'Thin Man' movies has nothing to do with this sudden inspiration?"

Finally, Joe's humor left. "I'm trying to help you out here Frank, so lay off. You're not the only one upset about this."

Frank sighed. He realized that much, but for some reason he always lost it whenever Nancy was involved.

Joe took the lack of response as a silent apology, and took the time to glance at the clock.

"You think they'll let us talk to Nancy again?"

Frank looked at him and shook his head. "That nurse means business. And Nancy's their own small town celebrity, so they're taking this pretty seriously."

Waggling his eyebrows, Joe muttered something about the old Hardy charm before walking towards the nurse's stations. A few minutes later, the brothers were walking down the hall behind an intern towards Nancy's room.

"Joe Hardy strikes again," Frank thought as he heard the young woman giggling behind him.

* * *

Nancy was looking supremely disgruntled as they walked into the room, and suddenly Frank was struck by how adorable she was pouting like a child. Shaking himself of the thought, he sat beside her and smiled warmly. The gesture was not returned.

Nancy wasn't paying attention; in fact, she wasn't aware she was pouting either. The deep concentration was suddenly broken as a laugh ripped through the room. Looking up, she found the Hardy brothers watching her, Joe poorly attempting to stifle his laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Gasping for breath, Joe was only able to make out a few incomprehensible words. Looking at Frank for clarification, all she received was a shrug. Sighing and deciding it would be futile to find out what had set Joe off this time, she began to think again. This time, however, it was Frank who interrupted her thoughts.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"If you actually thought I'd be asleep, you wouldn't have flirted with a nurse to get in here now would you?" Nancy countered. Frank grinned, but Joe took the bait.

"How would you know? You weren't paying attention!"

"True enough, but that's how you always get into places you're not supposed to be right?"

Joe grunted. He couldn't argue that one.

"You're right though, I wasn't paying attention to you. I was trying to figure out who it is I really saw last night," Nancy continued.

"You mean you saw Ned's murderer? You saw who attacked you? And you didn't tell us?" Frank asked incredulously.

"There was a lot more on my mind when I woke up, Frank," Nancy replied scathingly. "Sorry, this has just been a lot to digest."

"Wait, you said who you _really_ saw? Why wouldn't it be who you thought?" Joe asked.

"When I went into the kitchen, I saw Ned. He looked, strange. I started to tell him to leave when he fell….. When he was pushed onto me. The person behind him went to prison when I was three. Jacob Marden. He murdered my mother…" she faltered.

Frank and Joe were silent for a moment. They glanced at each other, and then back to their friend, waiting for her to continue.

It was silent for another moment before Nancy continued.

"Jacob Marden died five years ago."

* * *

**Well? I hope it was decent, especially given the long wait… I'm sorry if it was a tad short, I just felt the need to update so I only spent a half hour or so on it… Flames are welcome, I probably deserve them haha. Reviews keep me going 3**


End file.
